Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Echeveria  cultivar named ‘Sea Dragon’ is disclosed, characterized by rosettes comprised of wide aqua colored leaves with a single large carnunculation. Leaf margins are highly anfratuous and colored rose pink. Foliage shape is spatulate with a large distinctively orbicular upper section. The new variety is an  Echeveria , part of the Crassulaceae complex that includes  Aeonium, Crassula, Graptopetalum, Pachyphytum, Sedum  and others.  Echeveria  is a popular genus, typically produced as container plants for the patio or as landscape plants, as a variety of ornamental purposes.

Latin name of the genus and species: Echeveria hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘SEA DRAGON’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar, Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’, is the product of a planned breeding program. The new variety originated from a cross pollination of the proprietary, unpatented, seed parent, Echeveria ‘GG3’ with the pollen parent an unpatented, proprietary variety of Echeveria referred to as ‘21’. The cross pollination was made during June, 2012 in Vista, Calif., at a commercial greenhouse. The new cultivar ‘Sea Dragon’ was discovered by the inventor, Renee O' Connell, in August, 2013, in Vista, Calif. at a commercial greenhouse.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘Sea Dragon’ was first performed in Vista, Calif., at a commercial greenhouse, by terminal vegetative cuttings in August, 2013. Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’ has since produced multiple generations and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘Sea Dragon’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, day length, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘SEA DRAGON’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘SEA DRAGON’ as a new and distinct Echeveria cultivar:

-   -   1. Rosettes comprised of wide aqua colored leaves with         carunculations.     -   2. Anfractuous leaf margins colored rose pink.     -   3. Foliage that is more rounded and wider than many comparable         carunculated Echeveria hybrids, which often produce longer,         narrower leaves.     -   4. The new cultivar Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’ produces wider,         rounder aqua leaves with centered carunculations, attractively         accented by very anfractuous leaf margins in contrasting rose         pink, a combination not seen in other comparable Echeverias.

PARENTAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar are similar to plants of the seed parent, most horticultural characteristics, however, plants of the new cultivar differ in the following;

-   -   1. Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’ displays leaves with very anfractuous         margins, whereas the leaves of Echeveria ‘GG3’ show very little         crenations along margins.     -   2. Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’ displays rounder, wider obovate leaves         whereas Echeveria ‘GG3’ produces leaves that are longer and         narrower.     -   3. Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’ produces leaves that are aqua, whereas         the leaves of Echeveria ‘GG3’ display violet gray tints.     -   4. Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’ displays less anfractuity than does         Echeveria ‘GG3’.     -   5. The anfractuous margins of Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’ are rose         pink, contrasting an aqua leaf, whereas the anfractuous margins         of Echeveria ‘GG3’ are very close in color to the leaf color,         thereby not providing the attractive contrast.

Plants of the new cultivar are similar to plants of the pollen parent, most horticultural characteristics, however, plants of the new cultivar differ in the following;

-   -   1. Leaves of Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’ are blue-green with a single         large, round, centered carunculation, whereas leaves of         Echeveria ‘21’ are silvery blue with a long ovate, less centered         carunculation.     -   2. Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’, displays very anfractuous margins in         a contrasting rose-pink color, whereas Echeveria ‘21’ displays         only an occasional incidence of anfractuity in the leaf margin,         and there is no contrasting marginal color.     -   3. The rosette of Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’ typically grows larger         than that of Echeveria ‘21’.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

The new cultivar ‘Sea Dragon’ can be compared to the unpatented commercial variety Echeveria ‘Barbillion’. Plants of the Echeveria ‘Barbillion’ are similar to plants of the new cultivar ‘Sea Dragon’ in most horticultural characteristics. However, the new cultivar ‘Sea Dragon’ differs in the following:

-   -   1. Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’ displays very anfractuous margins,         whereas Echeveria ‘Barbillion’ produces a margin that is nearly         devoid of crenations.     -   2. Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’ produces pink margins, contrasting         with the leaf blade color margin coloration of ‘Barbillon’ is         similar to the leaf blade color     -   3. Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’ produces a wider obovate-orbiculate         leaf with centrally placed carunculation, as compared with the         longer, narrower leaf, with long carunculation produced by         Echeveria ‘Barbillion’.     -   4. Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’ is faster growing than Echeveria         ‘Barbillion’.

The new cultivar ‘Sea Dragon’ can be compared to the unpatented commercial variety Echeveria ‘Cameo’. Plants of Echeveria ‘Cameo’ are similar to plants of the new cultivar ‘Sea Dragon’ in most horticultural characteristics. However, plants of the new cultivar ‘Sea Dragon’ differ in the following:

-   -   1. Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’ forms leaves with very anfractuous         margins, whereas the leaves of Echeveria ‘Cameo’ are devoid of         anfractuity.     -   2. Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’ produces leaves wider         obovate-orbiculate, with a centrally placed carunculation,         whereas the leaves of Echeveria ‘Cameo’ are longer and narrower.     -   3. The overall morphology of Echeveria ‘Sea Dragon’ is shorter         than that of Echeveria ‘Cameo’, which tends to bolt.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photographs illustrates in full color a typical plant of ‘SEA DRAGON’ grown in a greenhouse in Vista, Calif. Age of the plant is approximately 5 months in an 8 inch container. The photograph was taken using conventional techniques and equipment. While the colors in these photographs may display variances of color as compared to the living cultivar, due to LRV (light reflectance value), they are as accurate as possible using conventional photographic techniques. Colors in the photographs may appear to differ slightly from the color values cited in the botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Echeveria plant. The plant was grown under natural light conditions of 2500-4000 foot-candles. Temperatures ranged from −1° C. to 29° C. night and day. No artificial light, photoperiodic treatments or chemical treatments were given.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe ‘Sea Dragon’ plants in a commercial greenhouse in Vista, Calif. Temperatures ranged from −1° C. to 29° C. night and day. No artificial light, photoperiodic treatments or chemical treatments were given to the plants. Natural light conditions were approximately 2500 to 4000 fc of light. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Echeveria hybrid ‘SEA DRAGON’.

PROPAGATION

-   Type of propagation typically used: Terminal vegetative cuttings. -   Time to initiate roots: About 11 days at approximately 24° C. -   Root description: Fibrous.

PLANT

-   Age of plant described: Approximately 6 months from a cutting. -   Container size of the plant described: 8 inch. -   Growth habit: Upright rosulate plant. -   Height: Approximately 15 to 17 cm. -   Plant spread: Approximately 30 cm. -   Growth rate: Moderate. -   Branching characteristics: Not typically observed.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:     -   -   Arrangement.—Rosulate.         -   Average length.—Outermost foliage 12 to 15 cm. Inner foliage             6 to 10 cm.         -   Average width.—5 to 8 cm.         -   Width at base.—Average 2.5 cm.         -   Aspect of leaf.—Leaf folds downward, so extremely it is             almost completed folded in half. Apical margin extremely             undulate. One large caruncle per leaf, occurring towards             apex, consuming about 30% of leaf surface.         -   Shape of blade.—Overall spatulate with large orbicular upper             section.         -   Apex.—Deeply undulating crenate.         -   Base.—Broad attenuate.         -   Margin.—Anfractuous. Upper ⅓ irregularly crenate with deep             undulation. Entire along lower ⅔.         -   Texture of top surface.—Glabrous, with single large             caruncle.         -   Texture of bottom surface.—Glabrous.         -   Appearance of top surface.—Matte.         -   Appearance of bottom surface.—Matte.         -   Quantity of leaves per plant.—Average range 15 to 30. -   Color:     -   -   Young foliage upper side.—Near RHS Greyed-Green 191C. Apical             margin coloration near Red 41B, slightly flushed Orange-Red             35B along margin. Caruncle Grey-Green 190D with light             irregular flushing near Red 41B.         -   Young foliage under side.—Near RHS Greyed-Green 191C. Apical             margin coloration near Orange-Red 35B. Apex slightly flushed             Greyed-Purple N187C. Center blotch near Green 138C.         -   Mature foliage upper side.—Near RHS Green 138C. Apical             margin coloration near Red 44C, slightly flushed Red 44D             along margin. Caruncle Grey-Green 190D with light irregular             flushing near Red 41B.         -   Mature foliage, under side.—Near RHS Greyed-Green 191C.             Apical margin coloration near Orange-Red 35B. Apex slightly             flushed Greyed-Purple N187C. Center blotch near Green 138C.

FLOWER

-   Flowering: Not Observed.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

-   Not observed.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Temperature tolerance: Tolerates temperatures from approximately     −2° C. to at least 35° C. -   Disease/pest resistance: Neither resistance or susceptibility to     normal diseases and pests of Echeveria has been observed. -   Drought tolerance: Tolerates at least 3 weeks of high temperatures     without supplemental water, showing no serious damage to plant. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Echeveria plant named ‘SEA DRAGON’ as herein illustrated and described. 